Mr. Shigeru NAKAMURA, Ambassador-Designate of Japan to Malaysia attended the Peacekeeping Training Vehicle (left-hand drive) Handover Ceremony on Tuesday, 2 August 2011 at the Ministry of Defence, Kuala Lumpur, for “Capacity Building Support for Malaysia’s Role in Multidimensional Peacekeeping Training”, a new capacity building support project at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Training Centre at Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.  The Ceremony was presided by Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Minister of Defence.  Mr. Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam was also present at the function.  The Government of Japan had contributed USD$1 million, through the UNDP-Japan Partnership Fund, in support of this new project.

Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, has acknowledged his appreciation towards the said project at the Japan-Malaysia Joint Leaders’ Statement titled “Enhanced Partnership for a New Frontier” signed in April 2010 in Tokyo.  Both Prime Ministers of Japan and Malaysia shared the view then that the two countries will continue to promote cooperation in the area of peacebuilding. 

This project not only trains Malaysian peacekeeping personnel but also trains peacekeepers from Asia and Africa.  To be the first-of-its kind multi-dimensional peacekeeping training centre in the region, the project has been managed by both UNDP and the Ministry of Defence since last year.  With the new training curriculum and courses derived for the project, it would certainly accentuate the multidimensional aspects of peacekeeping, in particular civil-military coordination as well as protection of children and women in times of armed conflicts.

Two Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) courses have been successfully conducted in April and May with its intended objectives at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Training Center (MPTC) in Port Dickson.  Following the dispatch of a Japanese Instructor for the first CIMIC course in April, the Government of Japan dispatched again two Japanese instructors for the second CIMIC Course from the Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters of the Cabinet Office of Japan, believing that contribution in personnel, in addition to funding, is meaningful.  And with the hand-over of the left-hand drive vehicle, which was requested by the Government of Malaysia, Japan hopes it will contribute effectively to practical PKO training which is quite often required in the case of current PKO mission areas, especially in Africa. 

Japan further wishes to express its sincere hope that the tripartite cooperation provided by Japan-Malaysia-UN with participants from Africa and Asia will continue to be implemented efficiently and effectively, contributing to peacebuilding efforts in the international community.